The Revolution of Women in Georgia, Between Tradition and Modernity

Georgia საქართველო is a country stuck between the Orient and the Occident since the post-soviet period. The country has suffered recent wars (Tchechenia), where some of its parts became recently independent with Russian help (Abkhazia აფხაზეთი, and South Ossetia სამხრეთ ოსეთი). This country is presently undergoing intense contrasts between a part of the society under the Soviet influence still on one hand, and another part that is liberal and consummation oriented on the other hand. In the sphere of influence, women’s place is evolving. Knowing that the Georgian society is basically patriarchal oriented, the social role of women is in full evolution, relying partly on the traditional model (keeping the house, being a good mother, believing in God, keeping one’s honor for the young girls…) and partly on the modern model (the socialist Russia, assertiveness, fulfillment, independence, and the need to be beautiful…). Whereas the elderly remain more in the old model, the young women of Tbilissi (თბილისი), the Capital, live simultaneously between two models, the traditional and the modern.